Inspired by the household hints thread: What's the difference between bicarbonate of soda and baking powder? (and what's 'baking soda'? Not a term we have here, I don't think).

I hear them being used interchangeably and I'm never quite sure if they're the same thing or not.

Bicarb and baking soda are the same thing.

Baking powder is cream of tarter and bicarb in a 2:1 ratio.

Both are used in baking as leavening agents. You use Bicarb when you are using ingredients that are already acidic (i.e. buttermilk or yogurt). Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and is most often used in biscuit and cake recipes.

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Whilst we're talking about cooking...are powdered sugar and icing sugar the same thing?

Yes they are. Powdered sugar, icing sugar, and confectioner's sugar are all names for the same thing---extra finely ground fluffy sugar.

Well, they're made of the same molecules, yes. But because one is much more finely granulated than the other, the tastes are slightly different. Like sea salt, cooking salt, kosher salt, etc. They're all salt, but the grain size varies, making them suitable to different things. It affects intensity of taste, sometimes shelf life, speed of dissolution, etc. In general, more finely granulated => greater surface area => stronger taste ('coz more of it touches your tongue at once). This is also why grated cheese tastes better than a block of the same amount and type of cheese. (For those who watch QI, they actually touched on this once: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw0KbGi4gH8)

Whilst we're talking about cooking...are powdered sugar and icing sugar the same thing?

Yes they are. Powdered sugar, icing sugar, and confectioner's sugar are all names for the same thing---extra finely ground fluffy sugar.

Well, they're made of the same molecules, yes. But because one is much more finely granulated than the other, the tastes are slightly different. Like sea salt, cooking salt, kosher salt, etc. They're all salt, but the grain size varies, making them suitable to different things. It affects intensity of taste, sometimes shelf life, speed of dissolution, etc. In general, more finely granulated => greater surface area => stronger taste ('coz more of it touches your tongue at once). This is also why grated cheese tastes better than a block of the same amount and type of cheese. (For those who watch QI, they actually touched on this once: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw0KbGi4gH8)

In the case of sugar, though, there is no difference in the grain size between icing, powdered, and confectioners sugars. Those are three different names for the exact same product.

And on a related note:Why is it called "shortening"? Where does that term came from?

From Online Etymology Dictionary:

Quote

shortening (n.) 1540s, "action of making short," verbal noun from shorten. Meaning "butter or other fat used in baking" (1796) is from shorten in the sense "make crumbly" (1733), from short (adj.) in the secondary sense of "easily crumbled" (early 15c.), which perhaps arose via the notion of "having short fibers." This is the short in shortbread and shortcake.

Whilst we're talking about cooking...are powdered sugar and icing sugar the same thing?

Yes they are. Powdered sugar, icing sugar, and confectioner's sugar are all names for the same thing---extra finely ground fluffy sugar.

It also has anti-caking stuff in it.

My MIL called it 4X sugar. She gave me her Xmas cookie recipe () at DH's request, and I had to ask her what the devil it was.

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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Common sense is not a gift, but a curse. Because thenyou have to deal with all the people who don't have it. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I'm guessing if there's a power surge, it could fry the electronics (display, etc). They probably put that in there just so someone can't demand a replacement after a lightning strike kills the treadmill. Depending on where you live, it's likely not much of a risk (unless there's something I don't know).